Publishing News, July 2021
Dave Eggers’s upcoming novel The Every (McSweeney’s), sequel to The Circle, is being published on October 5, 2021 as a hardcover exclusively available from indie bookshops and the publisher’s website. Eggers explained the decision, in an email to Publishers Lunch: “I don’t like bullies. Amazon has been kicking sand in the face of independent bookstores for decades now.” Trade paperback and ebook editions published by Vintage will follow on November 16 and will be available through all outlets.
The erasure of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt continues, following the venerable trade publisher’s acquisition by HarperCollins. Starting July 7, 2021, frontlist books and reprinted adult titles previously branded as HMH will become Mariner titles, and children’s titles will be Clarion titles.
Pan Macmillan in the UK plans to open their office this summer for employees who wish to work in person, and to fully reopen in October 2021. They expect many employees will “want and need to work at least two to three days per week in the office, depending on their role,” but in-person attendance is not required. CEO Anthony Forbes Watson explained,
Our approach to future working embodies the conviction that our consistent success has been based on an open, trust-based operating model, which attracts and energizes exceptional people and prioritizes the development and wellbeing of everyone who works here.
Macmillan US is launching a pilot “hybrid and remote-friendly work model,” whereby employees capable of working from home can “choose the number of days per week they work in the office, or choose to work fully remotely.” The trial will last until June 30, 2022. The main New York office will open on October 18, 2021. CEO Don Weisberg says,
Given that much of our business is driven by relationships and social interactions that drive creativity and collaboration, there is unquestionable value to the office being the nucleus of our business. With that said, getting the reopening wrong will have the opposite effect. We believe that allowing employees more flexibility to choose how they return and engage with the office in the future will likely make the office more dynamic, more frequently-used, and a stronger hub for our business.
Amazon Publishing has reached an agreement to provide its 10,000-title category of ebooks and audiobooks to libraries, under a variety of licenses: “We expect that libraries will be able to access all of the Amazon Publishing titles by the end of the year.” Amazon Publishing books (including those from SF imprint 47North) have not previously been available for ebook lending. The company worked with the non-profit Digital Public Library of America organization to work out the details.
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